Research was an integral component of the TRIGGER project and served as a bridge between teaching, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement. While the educational activities focused on explaining the objectives and instruments of the European Green Deal (EGD), the research component explored how environmental innovations and policy approaches are implemented in practice and transferred across different governance and geographical contexts.
The research programme addressed one of the key challenges identified by the project: the gap between ambitious sustainability objectives and their practical implementation. Particular attention was devoted to understanding how innovative environmental solutions emerge, how they are adapted to local conditions, and what factors influence their successful transfer and scaling.
Research Focus
The research activities focused on environmental innovations supporting sustainability transitions, with particular emphasis on green and blue infrastructure (GBI). Green and blue infrastructure refers to networks of natural and semi-natural areas that provide ecosystem services, improve climate resilience, support biodiversity conservation, and contribute to human well-being.
The project explored how such innovations are transferred between cities, regions, and countries, and how governance arrangements, stakeholder interactions, and local contexts influence their success. Rather than assuming that successful solutions can simply be replicated elsewhere, the research examined the conditions under which environmental innovations can be adapted and scaled effectively.
The work also addressed broader themes relevant to the European Green Deal, including:
- environmental governance and policy implementation;
- sustainability transitions;
- ecosystem services and nature-based solutions;
- stakeholder engagement and social learning;
- transfer of environmental policy and management innovation;
- interactions between European and non-European sustainability contexts.
Research Process
The research combined literature review, case-study analysis, stakeholder consultations, and comparative assessment of environmental innovations. The project team engaged with academic and practitioner communities through seminars, workshops, and international teaching activities, allowing research findings to be continuously discussed and refined.
An important feature of the TRIGGER approach was the close integration of research and teaching. Research findings informed the development of course contents, learning materials, and dissemination activities, while feedback from students and stakeholders helped shape the analytical framework and interpretation of results.
Main Research Output
The principal research outcome of the project was the peer-reviewed publication:
Shkaruba, A., Sepp, K., Hirschnitz-Garbers, M., Külm, S., Veromann, E., Kriipsalu, M., Mardiste, P., Suškevičs, M. (2026). *Transferring and scaling innovation in urban green-blue infrastructure: beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and preconceptions*. Sustainable Futures, 11, 101619.**
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101619
The publication examines how environmental innovations are transferred across contexts and proposes an analytical framework based on the concept of Strategic Niche Management. The study demonstrates that successful transfer depends not only on technical characteristics of an innovation, but also on governance arrangements, stakeholder networks, institutional settings, and local socio-economic conditions.
The findings suggest that environmental innovations are most effective when they are adapted to local contexts rather than copied directly. This insight is particularly relevant for the implementation of the European Green Deal, which relies on the diffusion of innovative approaches across diverse sectors, regions, and governance systems.
Dissemination of Research Results
Research results were presented and discussed through a range of project activities, including:
- TRIGGER Science-Policy Workshop 1: *Rural Sustainability and Governance* (April 2025);
- TRIGGER Science-Policy Workshop 2: *Protected Areas and Environmental Innovation* (March 2026);
- international teaching and dissemination activities in Europe, Asia, and South America;
- stakeholder consultations and academic seminars.
The workshops provided opportunities to discuss findings with academics, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society representatives and helped connect research results to practical implementation challenges.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
